The Host: All hope lost
by ali0831
Summary: "You want me, here I am." I stood before the dark soul known as Seeker Time, The passenger side door opened, and I gasped. I never thought I'd see that face again. "Ian!" He looked at me as if I were a stranger. Then I looked into his eyes the left was crimson silver, the color of an occupied host and the right was sapphire blue. "Who is Ian?" He asked as I heard the pistol go off
1. Wanda

**A/N: Just a little to say before you begin. First off, I have not written in so long, I may be a bit rusty. Secondly, when and if I describe characters I am describing how they look in the movie, not the book. Last, enjoy…and please, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions please let me know. **

**Oh, one more thing. I planned on this being a third person story because frankly, I write better in third person. But first person made more sense with having multiple narration's and points of view from the characters. I will be switching POVs throughout chapters, some chapters may be a different characters POV. I will make it to where I don't confuse people, I promise and if I do please let me know. Thank you for taking the time to read my story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything; all rights go to Stephanie Meyer**

**Wanda**

It had been two months since we discovered more groups of human suriviors, and with the help from Doc and I extracting captured souls there was still hope for humanity. I sat in the tavern, looking out at the glow worms.

Shining so vividly; like a million tiny stars. I peered down at the reflection in the water staring back at me

. I was still getting used to this body; it was… _I _was so tiny, tiny enough to where I could easily be broken in half. I shivered; this body didn't provide much heat. My hands were always shaking and cold.

Ian had once told me that a woman's body is always cold and a man's body is always warm, because men were meant to keep us warm. I smiled at the thought, it made sense, and it was such a beautiful thought.

I sighed deeply, twirling the ends of my hair with my fingers. If only this was truly who I was. She was a pretty one, too. No wonder Ian liked this body. I splashed away the reflection in one swift movement.

"You alright?" his voice was so gentle, he didn't even startle me. He came up behind me and sat, stretching his legs out with me in the middle of him, and wrapping his arms around me in a sweet embrace.

Ian always handled me as if I were glass, one wrong move and I'd shatter. "I'm…fine."

He sighed, gently kissing my shoulder. "I've told you time and time again, you're a lousy liar. I'm the last person you have to try to lie to." He told me softly.

"Ian, do you think this body is pretty?" I asked as I turned slightly, just enough to see his eyes. He rested his forehead against mine, looking deep into my eyes, so full of love.

"Yes, I think you're beautiful Wanda." I scoffed; a sound I didn't even realize I knew how to make.

"I didn't ask if you thought I was… I asked if you thought this body was." I whispered hurt in my voice.

He furrowed his brows in confusion. I could see him racking his brain, wondering what I could possibly mean.

"This _is_ you, Wanda." He told me squeezing my waist gently.

I felt his breath on the back of my neck, whenever he did that, my breath always caught in the back of my throat. My heart was doing summersaults.

"Can you feel that?" He whispered. I nodded. "_Your _body feels that, not this body or her body. This is you." He told me placing his fingers under my chin gently, making me face him.

He brushed the hair out of my eyes and cupped my cheek, "to make it clear, yes I think you're beautiful the little worm in the back of your head you, like you've told me once before. I love _you_ wanderer the soul." He smiled at me, reassurance in his eyes.

Love for a human was one of the best feelings I've ever felt in all my lives. This was the life I craved…but in my mind, I knew I did not belong. I was not human. I smiled to myself, staring at the glow worms

Ian and I sat in silence for a long while until I finally spoke.

"Sometimes I dream about what my life would have been like if I were born human." I confessed. "I'd want hazel eyes." I smiled softly.

I know he heard the pang of hurt and jealousy in my voice. The very feelings I tried to push down yet they refused to be lie dormant.

"Having…not only a soul but my own body; and my own heart that you could love, too. " I told him softly.

I wondered if I were born human if he'd still love me. Not me as Melanie or me as Pet but _me. _What a hopeless dream; longing to be human.

"After so many lives and so many bodies I've inhabited you'd think I would get used to the idea of always living through others." I shook my head. He stared at me intently, taking in my words. I saw the pain in his eyes, the pain for me.

"She was dying…Wanda. This body was meant for you." He began, placing a small kiss on the nape of my neck.

"Do you feel it?" I turned to look at him; he was so beautiful to me.

"Every cut and bruise? Every touch…every kiss?" He gently swept my hair to the one side, kissing my neck this time.

I felt that down to my core I felt it.

I nodded, "I do, feel it." _"You _feel it because this is you. You need to accept it, Wanda."

He nuzzled my neck. "This is all you. Your body, heart, and mind."

I shook my head, disagreeing. I turned to him, kissing him lightly on the lips then resting my forehead against his.

"I don't belong here, Ian." I whispered.

Ian protested, "You belong with _me._ And here, is with me. I will always love you, I don't need to see you to love you Wanda, they could pluck out my eyes and I'd still love you. If I were blind or if I were dead…nothing will change that."

He said to me as he pulled me into a passionate kiss his fingers tangling in my hair.

We ended the kiss briefly to catch our breath. I gazed into his eyes, human eyes as pure as a soul.

"I love you, Ian." I whispered against his lips as he pulled me in for another kiss.

**A/N: A lot of fluffiness going on, I know. Can't help it…I just love Wanda and Ian. All the editing was done by me. Sorry if you come across mistakes. I briefly looked over the beta page but I'm anxious to put this chapter up for some reason. I also wrote this at 2:30 in the morning so, bear with me. I'm okay with constructive criticism. I enjoy reviews because I enjoy knowing everyone's opinion, what I need to improve, or what they would like to see happen in the story. No flames, please. Hope you all enjoyed. Chapter two will be up shortly.**


	2. Troubling News

**A/N: I would like to give a big thank you to the ones who have read the first chapter and reviewed! Hoplite39, TrekkieWhovianSherlockianChica, MaiaIsabel, and catmip851 I had a lot more visitors, not sure if they read it but you guys were my only reviews and it's because of your reviews that I decided to post this so soon. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything; all rights go to Stephanie Meyer**

**Wanda**

I began gathering all my supplies for the 2 week meet with Nate and Burns. I may have been small, but I served a purpose when it came to raids. They no longer needed to steal; I did it for them. We souls trusted one another.

We met with the other group the 2nd week of each month. We keep one another posted on if we've discovered new survivors.

We often traded goods and since burns still played the role of a seeker, we gained information from the inside because of him.

We were also low on supplies, so some shopping was needed. I walked into the plaza, meeting up with Jared, Ian, and Melanie. Melanie scowled at the two men, she was angry.

"What is the matter?" I asked as I looked from one person to the next. Ian looked up at me, smiling uneasily.

. "You and Mel are going to sit this one out." Jared spoke.

I looked at him, confused. "But you need-"

"Burns is going to meet up with us; we'll have him get the supplies." Ian added, rubbing my arm softly.

"This is such crap!" Melanie grumbled. "We may as well be good for nothing."

I was still a little confused. "I don't understand, why?" I asked hoping for a good answer.

Jared had his arms folded across his chest, he glanced at me. He was worried about something. "The seekers have increased. It's unknown why this happened…but we don't want to risk you two."

Melanie turned around, too frustrated to face Jared. I felt the frustration in myself as well. "So you'd rather risk yourselves?" I asked, already knowing the answer, and I had to admit I was adverse about it.

"We've done this so many times…we'll be fine." Ian said pulling me close. His words weren't reassurance to me; anything could happen in four weeks.

Melanie stormed off toward her room, mumbling obscenities. Jared followed after her.

Even though she and I were no longer in each other's head, I knew she was thinking exactly what I was; that this whole idea was wrong. Something about it just didn't feel…right.

I avoided Ian's gaze, my arms still folded over my chest blocking out any physical contact from him. I had to admit I was a little aggravated with him. _And he calls me self-sacrificing._ "Wanda, I'm sorry…but I need you safe."

I shrugged, "It is fine."

He tilted my chin up, taking in my expression. "I know you're lying." He said.

I sighed in defeat. "It's just not fair. You expect Mel and I to sit here for four weeks wondering every second of every day if you are alright?"

Ian clenched his jaw. "Yes, I do."

I gritted my teeth, frustrated didn't even begin to describe how I felt. I pulled away from him.

"I can take care of myself, Ian." I said with a little more force than he was used to.

He was taken aback; I saw the sting of pain hit his eyes. I've never talked to him this way.

I was angry. It was not right that he wanted me to stay here for four weeks worried about him and Jared.

He reached his hand out to me, but I pulled away. I gave him an impassive smile. "have a safe trip." I muttered. I turned away from him, heading to our living quarters.

I heard him sigh, "Wanda-Wanda...w-wait!" He stammered as he called after me.

I shook my head, not looking back at him. I was tired of being treated like I couldn't handle myself. It made me feel…insubstantial.

**Ian**

The ride to phoenix took approximately 34 hours. Jared, Kyle, and I took turns behind the wheel. Being as cautious as possible when it came to driving, making sure we were going no faster or slower than the limit.

I was hurt by Wanda's unexpected outburst. She was so angry at me; she didn't even see me off. I loved her, was it wrong of me to want to protect her? To make sure she was safe?

I felt Kyle's eyes on me, and as if he could read my thoughts he spoke; "She's right man, you have to stop treating her like a child."

"Treating her like a child and making sure she's safe are two different things." I responded.

"Besides brother, you tried to kill her, you hated her." He shook his head, looking away from me.

I continued, Kyle had a way of pushing my buttons. "Forgive me, brother…if you're not the first person I'll take advice from when it comes to Wanda." I sneered.

Kyle opened his mouth; it wasn't hard to tell that I had pissed him off. "Little brother you better-"

"That's enough!" Jared yelled, "Let it go." He said calmly, not taking his eyes off of the rode as he drove.

Jared glanced in my direction, "We did the right thing, Ian." He reassured me.

The reassurance did very little. I knew what I did was right, whether she saw it that way or not…

But what plagued me wasn't her anger toward me, it was the fact that I was going to be gone four weeks, and Wanda and I didn't even say goodbye. I was hurt.

The only safe place to meet up with Nate and his group was a very secluded part of the desert. Burns said we would see one lone tree near the road and to turn left when we came across it.

We cut the headlights off; parking the car underneath the tree. We covered our tracks with an old sheet as we walked out into the desert. After about 15 minutes of walking we came across a set of mountains.

The mouth of the mountain was wide, it engulfed the dark of night and it was almost hard to make out the figure standing just before the entrance.

He began walking toward us. "Well, well, where's my partner who's also gone native at tonight?" Burns shouted.

I shook his hand as he approached us. "We thought it would be best to leave them at home, a lot of seekers patrolling…lately."

Burns ran his hand through his hair nervously. "That's because Seeker Time has arrived." Burns informed us. I observed him, he almost seemed…frightened.

All three of us looked at burns confusion on our faces. "Who is…seeker Time?" I asked, stepping closer to burns waiting for him to continue.

"Let's just say, he doesn't view our species as a democracy…but rather a dictatorship." Burns motioned for us to follow him inside. "His dictatorship, that is." I heard him mumble to us or himself, I wasn't sure.

We followed Burns into the cave, Nate approached us. "Good to see you guys again." He greeted us, shaking each of our hands.

"Anything else we should know?" Jared asked. It was obvious he was contemplative. He was ready to do what we needed to do so we could return home. These 4 weeks were going to feel like a lifetime.

Burns hesitated, he let out a rough sigh, he was apprehensive. "Seeker Time has all seekers out to search for any remaining humans. He is determined. Seeker Time is not like the rest of us."

I listened, intently. "What do you mean?" I asked my voice full of concern. "He is not…pure. He is what I call a dark soul." Burns murmured. Jared, Kyle and I all exchanged troubled glances at one another.

_That was not possible _I thought. "I thought all souls were…pure" I spoke with certainty; it was as if my mind didn't believe it. Burns couldn't be right.

Burns chuckled, "Ironic isn't it? Looks like us souls may not be much different than you humans after all." He motioned for us to follow him; we were taking the Chrome Fisker Karma.

"I figured it'd be smarter to take my car, that way we don't need to follow speed limits." Burns said.

"We'll be inconspicuous." He added with a laugh as he pulled out his keys to unlock the doors, aiming the keyless entry at the karma, it beeped twice.

We headed toward the car, Burns leading us.

"I wouldn't mind a car like that." Kyle added a huge grin spreading across his face.

I shook my head, a smile on my face as well. Even during the apocalypse, my brother managed to find joy in something. It would be a good act for us all to follow.

**A/N: first two chapters are a little…hard to get into because we really don't have much going on. But don't worry things are going to start getting real interesting real soon here. A new OC will be introduced named Rose. I usually don't like stories with OC's but, she's kind of needed. Her and Seeker time who we will be meeting very shortly as well, and he's something else to look forward to entirely.**

**Please review; it definitely motivates me to put the chapters up quicker. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Introduction of Seeker Time

**A/N: I literally spent most of my day finishing up chapter 3, I have a newborn so it Is a little hard to devote all my time to writing but I've been depriving myself of sleep to write this. I absolutely love this chapter. We finally may be getting somewhere. Please review, even if you just say "good story." It would make my day. And who knows, depending on how many reviews or how badly you want chapter four up, it may happen sometime tomorrow. Readers and reviews keep my motivation. So please, review. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, All credit goes to Stephanie Meyer**

**The introduction of Seeker Time**

I ran my hand over the sleek walls of the penthouse I inhabited. The glossy finish to the walls was a charcoal gray, much like my suit.

The carpeting had intricate circular patterns overlapping one another, the patterns were snow white, the carpeting itself was the same charcoal gray as the walls.

A piano sat in the corner of the room, one black satin couch sat in the center of the room. The living room had three picture windows that covered an entire wall, looking out onto the Las Vegas strip.

I walked closer to the window, looking at the reflection of my host. This host was brawny, well built with broad shoulders. Light brown eyes peered back at me from the window, I had chocolate colored skin, and my hair was completely shaven down to the scalp.

"This body will do just fine." I smirked, examining myself in the window.

I heard a light knocking at the door to my penthouse. It is _time to get started._ "Enter." I shouted.

The soul walked in slowly, I l felt the unease radiating off of him. As it should have been, these souls were weak. _ This planet should have been dominated; we should not still be out hunting humans._

"Yes Seeker Wars?" My voice was firm and direct.

"We have information on the whereabouts of humans." The soul trembled, speaking as clear as he could.

"Is the traitor with them?" I looked out at the Las Vegas strip, hands folded behind my back. "We are not sure. But we do believe she is located somewhere in Lake Havasu City."

"That is only a couple hours from here." I said. "This may be easier than I thought." I turned to face the pathetic soul standing before me, such a disgrace to our own species.

"Seeker Wars, call in all Seekers from here to Phoenix. It is time I introduced myself." I sneered.

The Seekers gathered into my large penthouse. The looks on their faces were slack, A little puzzled I knew.

"Let me introduce myself." I gave the souls a slight bow. "I am Seeker Time." I heard gasps and hushed voices coming from around the room.

The look on my face was smug; they seemed to have figured me out all too quickly.

"The same seeker time that-"

" That has dominated every planet, yes." I established.

The female soul who spoke stifled a gasp.

"Every other planet but earth." I continued, "But that is about to change."

I treaded back and forth in front of the window, my arms still in place folded behind my back. My expression was unyielding as I spoke, my voice shaking the entire room.

"I am your leader, anything you do or anything you see you will report back to me." I looked out into the crowd with their disapproving faces as I continued.

" If you have a problem doing so, you will lose your title as seeker and join the orderly souls." I wasted no time informing these souls on what was protocol from here on in.

"You will follow my orders." I finished, looking out into the crowd at their opposed expressions.

One Seeker that stood in the first row before me with deep black hair spoke up. "What if we choose not to follow your orders?" He questioned.

This one was testing me.

I pulled the pistol from the holster on my belt, and shot the seeker in the skull without hesitation.

The crowd went silent.

They had sheer terror written all over their faces. I stared down at the corpse in front of me.

"If you don't follow my orders, you die, simple as that." I finished, kicking the corpse to the side so it was not in my walking space.

It was always amusing to me to see the reaction I had on other souls.

Seeker Wars cleared his throat, he was trembling. "Forgive me, Seeker Time but…you have killed a soul, one of our own. We are not this." He protested.

I put the pistol back in the holster, looking up at Seeker Wars I spoke, "That is not who you are, I said nothing about me." My voice was cold.

"You are just as disposable to me as the humans." I added.

"You will follow my orders or what happened to your friend down there…" I nodded toward the black haired seekers corpse. "Will happen with you."

I turned to look out the window at the vivid lights radiating off of all the buildings.

"It is time we took what we came here for." I snarled, turning toward my people.

"No mercy!" I shouted. "The traitor must be found and eliminated!"

I heard the door to my penthouse open, "How do you propose we do that?" I turned to look at the new addition to this meeting.

I smiled wryly; "So good of you to join us, Healer Fords."

I turned away from the crowd again, walking over to the piano running my index finger over the keys

. "That's simple really, find a weakness…snatch as many humans as necessary until we find one that means something to our…Wanderer." I laughed, wickedly.

**Ian**

"There are so many seekers out; it would be smart if only one went into a store at a time." Burns whispered.

"You're right." I agreed, "But we need to be discreet."

Kyle and Jared muttered in agreement.

Burns looked at all three of us; he was amused for some reason.

"Not to you know, put a damper on things…but we really need to start doing this during the day, I mean…I'm not sure how much longer the souls will by this sunglasses at night look." He laughed.

All three of us gave him irritated glances. "Very funny, Burns." Jared said, rolling his eyes.

"It may be the apocalypse but I figured I could help you guys out with finding humor in something." He added.

Now I rolled my eyes, "Give it a rest, Burns." I said as I opened up the car door.

"I'll go first." I told the guys as I put on my sunglasses.

"Sounds like a good idea." Kyle muttered under his breath.

It took everything in me not to punch him in the mouth. I glared at Kyle, clenching my jaw.

"Don't be such a dick." I said to him as I slammed the door shut behind me.

_I'm ready to get this done and get home so I can fix things with Wanda. _I thought to myself as I approached the main doors of the store.

"Good thing souls don't believe in locks." I muttered to myself as the sliding doors opened.

I found a large cart and did the usual, quickly going up and down the aisle, skimming all the shelves in a timely fashion, and tossing anything in the cart I thought we may need.

I grabbed water, bread, meats, and snacks. Whatever else I found essential.

I found body wash and shampoo, tossing it in the cart as I thought of the woman back in the caves.

_I'm sure they'll all appreciate it._

I stopped dead in my tracks as I heard rustling coming from across the store. It probably wasn't smart of me but I decided to figure out where the noise was coming from and who was making it.

Seekers didn't rummage through their own stores in the middle of the night, they didn't need to.

Maybe Kyle thought I was taking too long and took it upon himself to get supplies from this store too.

_I wouldn't put it past him._ I pulled the handgun from my waist, aiming it as I scanned the aisles.

I finally found the aisle the noises were coming from, turning the corner quickly I aimed my gun at whatever was before me.

I heard a soft gasp. Standing frozen before me was a thin woman, shorter than me with red curly hair and I faintly noticed her forest green eyes, she was stark white.

_She's terrified. _I thought.

I lowered my gun, looking at her. I couldn't believe it. I walked toward her. "You're…human?"

She nodded timidly, and I couldn't help but smile. _Another survivor_.

"What's your name?" I asked softly.

She looked up at me, not meeting my eyes entirely.

" Rose." She answered softly.

"Rose, there are more of us; they're outside in a chrome karma just like the seekers. They' probably park around back- "Suddenly my voice was cut off along with my airways.

I struggled to breathe as the arm around my throat became tighter. I turned my head as far as I could, just enough to look into my attackers eyes.

Crimson silver outlined the pupils. "_A seeker." _I gasped.

I looked up in confusion as a triumphant smile tugged at Roses' lips.

I tried to pull myself out of the seekers grasp.

Putting the pieces together, I scowled at her. "You…tricked me!" I shouted.

I continued struggling to break free from the Seeker who was much stronger and larger than me, she smirked at my realization.

"Of sorts, I guess. One thing you were right about is that I am human." I stared at her in bewilderment. I didn't understand.

"But I am not part of the resistance. I don't need saving." She spat. "You though handsome, just might." She patted me on the shoulder, taunting me, _provoking _me.

"Don't worry; I'll take good care of you little friends."

My jaw clenched, as my eyes burned into her. "How could you? Traitor." I spat, vile in my words.

"A traitor to your own kind, how despicable." I was truly disgusted.

"My only concern is keeping myself alive." She told me.

It took a few minutes for it to hit me that Wanda had rubbed off on me. She was so pure, so good…that I forgot how selfish humans were, how cruel we could be.

Rose walked up to me, pulling the blade from my belt.

She deliberately stabbed herself in the leg, stuffing the sleeve of her shirt in her mouth to muffle the scream.

She pulled the knife out, wiping it on her jeans and tucking it away in her shoe.

Rose shrugged, "Didn't think you'd mind me having it." She said as she headed toward the doors.

"Take him to Seeker Time." She shouted behind her.

"I'm going to enjoy this…maybe this group of humans will lead me straight to the soul that leads the resistance. If so, it should be a treat." She smirked.

_No! Wanda_! I thought as the handle of the gun cracked down on my skull, darkness consuming me.

**A/N: hope you enjoyed it, I enjoyed writing this chapter. I'm exhausted so forgive me if there are errors. Please please please review. The more reviews the quicker I will put up chapters. I do hope those of you who have read this are enjoying it. **


	4. Taken

**A/N: I have to say, I am becoming a bit discouraged with continuing this story. I've had a few followers, and people have made it a favorite. But I have very few reviews. I know people have viewed my story, whether they read It or not I'm not sure. chapter one and two are slow paced, I haven't written a story in at least a year...I was a little rusty but once I got past the first two chapters, things started (in my opinion) becoming more interesting. Maybe I just need patience, I did only publish this 2 days go lol! I'm contemplating revising chapters one and two, its not set in stone yet. If I do decide...ill let you all know in another author's note. So far, This is my favorite chapter. I hope you all enjoy and PLEASE review. This is the last chapter i'm going to post within a 24 hour period. I want at least 6 reviews. They are greatly appreciated. It lets me know that this story is worth continuing. thank you, for all of you readers that have been. I appreciate it. Okay, enough rambling...on with chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything, All rights go to Stephanie Meyer**

_**Chapter four:**_** Taken**

**Jared**

_What's going on?_ I wondered. Burns, Kyle, and I had been sitting in the car waiting for Ian for over an hour… if not longer.

"Something's not right…it shouldn't take him this long." I heard Kyle mutter.

My attention was drawn to the swift movement outside, I squinted my eyes. It was someone struggling to run, they were limping it looked like.

I tried to focus, I got a glimpse of the person's features and I knew. "That's a human." I realized, opening the car door.

Kyle grabbed my shoulder pulling me back into the car. "You don't know that!" He protested.

I looked at the figure that was running they kept looking behind them, as if someone was following them. "I do know that, and whoever it is, is hurt. It could be Ian!" I shouted as I pulled myself free from his grip.

I ran down the street after the silhouette. "Wait! Wait, Stop!" I shouted my stamina increased as I sped up, catching up to the person. I was inches away as I grabbed onto their arm.

The person turned around abruptly, it was a woman, and she had tears running down her cheeks. "Please, don't hurt me." She whimpered.

I grabbed the mini flashlight from my pocket, aiming it toward my eyes. "I'm human, too." I told her between jagged breaths. I looked her up and down, examining her. My eyes landed on her injured leg.

"What happened?" I asked instantly bending down to look at the wound. It was nasty. She needed to be treated, or she would get blood poisoning. I was sure of it.

She tried to speak, in between sobs. "I was running from them, I wasn't watching where I was going and there was a cracked wooden handle from a rake or broom; I'm not sure which one…I ran right into it." She explained to me.

She sucked in a breath as I touched it. "Please, it hurts."

I stood up, looking at her face once more. "You need to see Doc. It could get infected." I told her.

I looked up at the building next to us, my mind back on track to the task at hand. "Did you come across anyone else in there?"

She averted her eyes, and for a split second I swore I saw a tinge of guilt in them.

She nodded her head slowly, "Yes…there was…another human." She looked up at me as she finished.

"He had dark blond hair, and blue eyes." Her description struck me down.

_Ian._

"Do you know what happened to him?" She averted her eyes once again, nervous.

This time when she looked at me, she smiled at me apologetically, and I saw the sympathy in her eyes.

I knew what happened…of course I knew. I placed my hand gently on the woman's back, guiding her back to our vehicle.

I paused, turning back and taking on last look at the building behind us.

Going in there wouldn't do any good, because Ian wouldn't be there.

* * *

**Ian**

I woke up; the first thing I noticed was the copper taste in my mouth. Blood, no doubt.

I felt the cloth wrapped tightly around my mouth, blinking twice, I saw only darkness…which indicated that I was blindfolded as well.

I tried moving my hands, they were bound.

_Where was I?_

Then I remembered, the human woman who set me up, her walking out to join my friends.

_Damn it!_ I shouted to myself.

I remembered the end of the gun the seeker held.

The handle of the gun striking a hard blow to my head, undoubtedly knocking me unconscious.

I tried to loosen the ropes that were wrapped around my hands.

I was bound and gagged, I was stuck like this, trapped with my own thoughts of what I knew was coming.

It was inevitable, I knew that…but what really hit me at that moment, was the excruciating pain of loss that I felt.

I wouldn't be going back after the raid with the guys; I wouldn't be apologizing to Wanda for making her feel insubstantial.

I wouldn't be able to hold her or kiss her again…I wouldn't see her smile, or hear her laugh.

I wouldn't see her do the little things that I adored, like the way she twisted the ends of her hair with her fingers. I was devastated.

_I didn't even say goodbye._ Tears burned my eyes at the thought.

The vehicle came to a stop; I was grabbed roughly from my seat. He dragged me along, untying the cloth that covered my mouth.

"Please…"I begged.

"I know you don't want to do this." I tried to reason with the seeker.

The blindfold was removed as I was shoved into a large room.

I looked at the Seeker that had taken me. "Please, don't do this."

The Seeker turned away from me, guilt ridden.

"They may not want to do this, but they have no say in how I do things in this world, not anymore." A dark man walked through the doors, his head was shaven, and he was tall and muscular.

His features were bold and defined. He had certain…intimidation about him.

I focused on the man standing before me; he was different than the other souls. It was in his eyes.

He introduced himself walking closer to me. "I am Seeker Time."

His hands were folded securely behind his back, as he took in the site of me.

He got straight to the point. "I am in search of one soul in particular; she is extracting souls and sending them to different planets. She is restoring mankind, the head of the resistance. They call her, Wanderer."

I put on my best poker face, I knew from the second Seeker Time began speaking, that he was the one who wanted Wanda.

Well, he would not have her.

"I've never heard of her. But then again, not many humans left...I'm sure no one has." I clenched my jaw.

My face was relaxed, showing no sign of deceit, but my heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to burst through my chest.

"Some humans know of her I'm sure of it. After all, she has betrayed her own kind for you humans."

I furrowed my brows, locking eyes with him. "Out of curiousity, what are you planning to do with her if you find her."

Seeker time chuckled. "_When_ I find her, I will personally extract her from that bag of flesh and bones, set her on the ground, and crush her with the heel of my boot."

I got a grip on my emotions before I was exposed.

I held my composure as best as I could, I was livid, it was as if gasoline had been poured all over me and a matched throw. I was seeing red.

If only my hands weren't bound, so I could extract this soul and squash him like a bug.

I kept up my charade, "Sorry, I can't help you. I don't know who it is you're looking for." I lied.

Seeker time chuckled again. He shook his head, "I'm pretty clever…human." He began.

In one quick movement he had me pinned against the wall by my throat.

He stared at my eyes, examining them intensely. "You see, I think you do know who I'm looking for. "

He continued searching my eyes for any sign on the information he needed.

He glared at me, "In fact, I think it is safe to say that you are in love with her." His grip tightened around my throat.

I gripped his arms trying to break free. "In fact, I _know_ you are." He snarled.

Dropping his hand, he let me go. I gasped for air, sucking in as much oxygen as I could at one time.

"What makes you believe that? I already told you, I don't know who she is." I croaked, still catching my breath.

He turned around facing me searching my face once more.

"I know you are lying, and I know you are in love with her because…it is in your eyes." He smirked.

He shook his head; I could see the aggravation on his face. "I will find out the truth…" He said.

"I need to find a use for you…or rather your body." He said.

I shook my head, my face stone cold.

"I'd rather die." I spat.

Seeker Time was amused by this statement.

"You will be dead, long dead once I place a soul inside of your body. Don't worry. I'm not as cruel as to not grant you a last request." He mocked.

This was it, I was going to die.

I wouldn't be as lucky as Mel. I also wouldn't want to be.

I did not want to be a prisoner in my own mind. But one thing was for sure, whomever inhabited this body would know nothing.

It would be as if I never existed.

I decided my best option would be to test the strength of my mind, in that moment I made the most agonizing decision of my life; it was all I had left.

I had to die with no memories, no memories of this life. No memories of me; Ian O'Shea.

Erasing my memories would mean erasing Wanda.

I racked my brain, coming to the decision that attempting this would keep the odds higher of my family and friends still being alive.

There was no guarantee that it would work, but I had to try.

I had nothing to lose, not anymore.

Seeker time stuck me with a needle, injecting me with some type of medication.

"What…is that?" I mumbled, my head getting foggy.

"It is a sedative." His voice was now barley an echo.

I willed my mind not to suffice, to keep fighting.

I needed time…to erase myself, to erase my memories.

I processed my memories as they darted throughout my mind as flashbacks.

It was like I mentally had to press a delete button on every picture that was brought to the surface of my mind by the memories.

Kyle and I, growing up together…back then, I wanted nothing more than to be just like my brother. I was his shadow.

I begged him so many times, trying to get him to let me play with him and his friends. He always told me no…as we got older, our bond became stronger.

Then the invasion happened, and we drifted apart.

I never realized how far apart we'd grown. If only I had gotten the chance to fix it.

The scene played out in my head, it was almost too hard to re live.

Wanda stood in the plaza, I quickly made my way to her.

" .Not._ ." _I said forcefully, putting emphasis on each word.

She remained calm as she turned toward me. Looking at me, her eyes were filled with sorrow. "

I can't stay." She said softly.

My heart shattered in my chest when she said that, the memory was so fresh in my mind, it was like phantom pains, only stronger.

"But I love you." I admitted, choking back tears.

She looked up at me, shocked.

"I love you." She responded.

I stood inches from her now, framing her face. "Don't say it like you're saying goodbye."

She looked into my eyes, "I love you in every way that I can…and I'll miss the _future…-"_

The memory began to fade.

I willed it away, watching it disappear before me.

Kyle, Jared, Jamie, Jeb, Doc, my parents…all my family and friends… the images of them shattered just as quickly as they formed in my mind.

Every last thought I had I was determined to find a way to tear them to shreds, to will them to fade away so that no traces of who I once was could be found.

So the people I loved would be safe.

Wanda's face flashed across my mind continuously.

The images of her were so painful to see, I could hardly bear it.

If one good thing came out of this invasion…it was her.

All I could do was hope that when I felt like everything that could be remembered was forgotten, they would be safe.

I held on to hope that this body and mind would become a blank slate.

I refused to let someone inhabit this body and love Wanda, love her the way i loved her.

Or betray her and have her killed.

The anesthesia hit just as my last image of Wanda formed, it was the memory of the last time I saw her, right before the raid.

She was angry, but I saw the pain in her eyes.

That was probably one of our first fights.

"Have a safe trip." She spoke; her voice was muffled in my head.

It faded in and out, repeating over and over her voice was soon inaudible.

As the image blurred, her face become more and more distorted.

This last piece of her that I had, I just wanted to keep.

Lock it far away in my mind…I couldn't let her go.

But I knew I had to… they'd search my thoughts…they'd find this memory.

_I love you._ The words formed in my mind as my last piece of hope, disintegrated.

**A/N: Things are definitely getting interesting. Looks like we'll find out just how strong willed Ian really is. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it. Remember, at least 6 reviews until chapter 5 is up. I've already begun writing it. So the quicker I get the reviews the quicker the chapter goes up. I really don't want to give up on this story. I have so many ideas written out for it...but in order to keep the updates coming I need support. please and thank you sooo much.**


	5. A Defected Host

**A/N: So here it is, as promised once I received six reviews...chapter 5. Please, take a quick second to review. The more reviews the quicker I post the next chapter. I'm aiming for ten this chapter, it may not happen I'll give it 5 days to a week and if I don't have 10 I'll go ahead and post chapter six. I'm not trying to punish the readers that are actually enjoying this story. Thank you guys so much! Knowing that you guys like it, makes me want to continue. hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer, All rights go to Stephanie Meyer, I own nothing.**

**Blaze**

My eyes opened slowly as I squinted, the lighting was abnormally bright and I tried to focus enough to observe my surroundings. This body was intense. My emotions and senses were both heightened.

I sat up on the gurney, looking down at my hands. They were large hands, rough and calloused I had assumed from hard labor this human once did. The door opened and I noticed the man making his way toward me. I observed him closely.

He was tall and his body was bulky. He looked very strong. His face was very well defined and sculpted; his hair was low, down to the scalp it looked like. He seemed to be a very tough and fearless man. I met his eyes, I was not easily intimidated.

"I am your leader, Seeker Time." His voice was strong and bold.

I looked at the man that stood before me up and down, scrutinizing him.

"Since when have we ever had a leader?" I finally spoke; this voice was full of confidence and strength.

He glared at me, folding his arms over his chest. He felt like I was challenging him.

"Since right now." He told me simply.

"Do you have a name?" He asked as he made his way to the other side of the room grabbing the large mirror that was leaned up against a wall.

"B-Blaze, Blaze of Raging Infernos. I would prefer Blaze." I told him.

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Blaze it is. I think it is time you take a look at yourself."

He held the mirror up to me, the body I now inhabited was robust and thick set, I touched the dirty blond hair at the top of my head, my eyes examining every small detail of this body, I studied my reflection in the mirror.

This face was very defined and chiseled. I looked into my own eyes; I was so startled I could not control the gasp that escaped my lips.

My left eye was silver around the pupils, natural for an occupied host but something was off about the right eye, it was a sapphire blue, a human's eye.

This host was a defect.

I leaned in closer; studying my set of eyes…it was as if the right eye, my human eye staring back at me was _not_ me.

"I need you to begin your work." Seeker Times voice shook me out of my daze.

_Did he not notice the abnormality in this body?_

"Work?" I questioned, focusing on something easier to understand.

"Yes, I need you to access this human's memory."

I nodded, still a little haunted by the human eye that remained.

"It may take you days to access memories, I will have seeker Wolfe and Seeker Reed show you to your room." Seeker Time headed toward the door, he turned around to look at me one last time.

If I weren't just meeting this man, I would say he had never held a smile on his lips a day in that host.

The two men escorted me to my room; they spoke to one another like I was not present. I heard the words resistance, defiant soul, and something about only a few remaining human survivors.

"How was the soul leading the resistance found out?" The words that came out of my mouth were unfamiliar, the thought processed before I had time to rationalize it.

It was as if the question was not my own.

I furrowed my brows, fighting my own inner thoughts; I did not like this host.

I was uncomfortable in my skin, and I wanted out.

I wasn't sure if all humans were like this, but the emotions they carried were all consuming. The Seekers that stood before me stared at me in puzzlement.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from." I said.

Seeker Wolfe nodded "Sometimes, hosts can be resistant." He started; I shook my head in protest.

"I have not sensed another in this body." I admitted.

The Seekers looked at one another, "it is possible a memory could have triggered the question."

I remained silent, what they said made no sense. I would have known if a memory formed, wouldn't I? It has been silent in here.

They were wrong; this host was not resistant.

"But to answer the question, we have someone on the inside." Seeker Reed finished.

We stopped at the door at the end of the hall. Seeker Wolfe opened the door, escorting me inside.

"We will be back to see what you have retrieved from your host's memories at dawn"

I nodded, I looked around the room I was placed in, and it wasn't very big.

Though It seemed that way because of how empty and bare it was.

The walls were naked; the only thing in the room was a bed, nightstand, closet, and couch. I walked to the window, looking out into the evening sky.

This was a strange world.

_The strangest._

A female voice echoed from the pitch black depths of my mind.

I gasped, a little spooked.

I decided not to put too much thought into it, and came up with a rational explanation instead, all the odd signs like the thoughts and words I did not summon, and a females voice…maybe it was time I tried to retrieve memories from this host.

I focused closing my eyes, and searching deep into my mind, I mentally pushed myself to probe all parts of conscious and subconscious areas of this mind.

I opened my eyes, furrowing my brows in confusion.

I found nothing.

"How is the possible?" I muttered.

I released a breath, closing my eyes once more.

Channeling through my mind again, it was pitch black.

The female's voice that I heard, the words that were not my own, there wasn't a trace of them.

This host was an empty shell.

* * *

**Wanda**

I stood between Melanie and Jamie, in the kitchen kneading the dough we used to make bread. It had been four weeks; the guys were expected to be home by now.

Jamie seen the worried look on my face, and put his hand on my shoulder offering me comfort. "They'll be home today…Jared promised." Jamie said softly trying to reassure me.

My nerves were going insane, I needed to see Ian badly, I needed to apologize for my cruelty.

I regretted it the second day, I had not hugged or kissed him goodbye and I missed him terribly.

Like Clockwork, the men walked into the kitchen; Jared leading the way.

The expression on their face was glum.

I stopped handling the dough and walked toward the humans. Kyle came up from behind Jared; sorrow was etched in both of their faces.

I waited for Ian to push through, to gaze at me with those beautiful blue eyes with a smile on his face. To walk toward me, with open arms longing for the embrace he and I both missed dearly.

But he never walked through that entrance.

Time ticked away slowly, and they remained silent.

They moved out of the way to let someone through. My heart tightened in my chest for a half a second. But it was not who it was supposed to be.

It was a red haired woman, whose leg was wrapped tightly in bandages. She to, looked at me her eyes full of sadness.

My heart pounded in my chest, I held my breath, and fear enveloped me.

"Where is Ian?" I asked softly.

Dead Silence.

My throat tightened, it couldn't be possible.

"Where is he?!" I shouted this time, but I already knew the answer.

Everyone stopped and stared at me, shocked at my aggression.

Kyle begged me with his eyes, not to make Jared say it.

I stared at the two men that stood before me; waiting for what I knew would cut me in half.

Tears were now forming in Kyle's eyes as Jared's voice broke, "He was taken."

**A/N:I hope you enjoyed it! I Decided to try to leave it with a bit of a shocking cliff hanger type ending to this chapter. Things are beginning to unfold. The new character Blaze, seems to be having a tough time. I apologize for any errors, I proofread, but something may have slipped by. Remember, I'm aiming for 10 reviews. Let's hope I get more readers to give this story a chance. once again, please review, follow, favorite, or all of the above. next update will be soon.**


	6. This is War

**A/N: I would like to start this off with a huge thank you to the readers who have reviewed each and every chapter I've put up, even if this story doesn't get a massive amount of fans, I'm happy to know a few of you are looking forward to the chapters to come. I didn't get 10 reviews, but oh well. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. I would also like to thank the couple people who found this story, read it, and told me in reviews that they love it. That really keeps me motivated, you have no idea. Enough with my babbling, chapter 6 for you all! Hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Stephanie Meyer**

**Wanda **

Jared's words cut through me like a knife, my throat constricted...in those moments.

I couldn't move, I couldn't _breathe_.

All the blood rushed to my ears, my heart pounding in my head.

I swore; it was tearing apart with each agonizing beat.

I felt hands on me, pulling me down onto a chair. Whose hands I didn't know, but I also didn't care.

This couldn't be true; I was dreaming…it was all just a terrible dream. I felt the eyes of everyone in the kitchen on me; I looked up at Jared and Melanie…Kyle and Jamie. They're lips moved but no sound came out.

_Ian, not Ian. _

I could not fathom this, Ian no longer Ian. Now I understood what these humans felt when we invaded, and why they seen us as the enemy. I felt sick, this had nothing to do with the common good of this planet; I realized this long ago…which was why I decided to help the humans get their lives and their planet back.

We souls had no right doing what we've been doing, stealing the lives of others. We weren't pure…we were _murdering_ others; So much for harmony on our end.

The voice in my head was a soft echo. I wanted to ignore it, to shove it out of my mind…but it wasn't in my mind, it was pulling me back to reality.

"Wanda!" I felt his rough hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me.

It was Jared.

I opened my eyes, my mind was yelling at me to run; to hide somewhere deep in this cave and stow away inside of myself. But I was stronger than that, as much as it hurt, I could not let this pain consume me.

"What happened?" I whispered, closing my eyes once more.

The tears were burning hot on the inside of my eyelids; I refused to let them fall, because once they escaped…that was it. I would fall apart.

"He was captured, protecting me." The voice was unfamiliar to me, a female's voice.

I looked up at the only woman in here that I didn't know. She was here, instead of Ian. She was here for unknown reasons.

"Why is she here?" I asked Jared, my words were cold.

I was angry.

Angry at this woman for not trying to save Ian, I was also angry at Ian, angry at him for being the self-sacrificing one this time.

"There were too many seekers, so we went into each store by ourselves." Kyle said.

My head shot up, my eyes darting between Kyle and Jared. "He went in by himself? How could you let him do that?" My voice was no more than a whisper, though I felt like I was shouting.

"You don't understand Wanda-"

I had had it, I cut Jared off. "No! YOU don't understand, Jared." I shot up out of my seat, almost knocking the chair back. Jamie stepped back, surprised at my outburst.

I looked around the room at all the somber faces. Everyone was hushed.

"This is Ian we're talking about…_Ian."_ My voice was hollow.

"We'll get him back, Wanda." Melanie put her hand in mine, hoping to offer the slightest bit of comfort.

I pulled my hand free gently; I could not meet her eyes.

"What we get back…won't be Ian." I told her as I walked toward the doorway, ready to flee.

Just as I was almost out of there Burns appeared in the doorway, giving me no choice but to take a few steps back.

"There is something else." He entered the room, I met his eyes and it wasn't hard to read the expression.

That look sent chills down my spine; he had found his way to this planet. I was sure of it.

"A new threat is here; bigger than the invasion of our species. A soul who calls himself Seeker Time has made his way to Earth, he is calling himself our leader." Burns eyes seared into my own; a silent warning.

"He's come here for two things; to overthrow earth and-"Burns hesitated.

I folded my arms over my chest, looking at him, urging him to tell me with my eyes.

"Burns?" Jared moved toward him, putting a hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Burns what else is there?" He asked.

This time Burns averted his eyes to the ground. He could not face me, or anyone for that matter.

We all stood in anticipation, I knew this day would come eventually. It was inevitable.

"He wants me dead." I said my voice did not give way to any fear I may have been feeling.

Honestly, with my world falling apart around me, I didn't know what I felt.

I heard the gasps spread throughout the room, some of the humans looked terrified, others sad.

Maggie and Sharon were the only two who looked pleased to hear this news. There relief would have saddened me yesterday; today I was not concerned with their feelings toward me. What they thought was no longer important to me.

If only these humans knew everything.

But it was better that they didn't for their own safety. Seeker Time would not stop until this planet was dominated by him.

I knew one day, that he'd be back for revenge. I knew that I would have to face the soul I betrayed.

* * *

**Blaze**

I paced my room, frustrated as I ran a shaking hand through my dirty blond hair. Perhaps a nervous habit I had picked up.

I was alone in here; completely.

This host couldn't possibly have been an active human it couldn't be possible because I had found nothing…

I stressed my focus on the deepest parts of this mind, and still not a thing.

Then, like a flash of lightning a figure darted across my mind.

A nameless, faceless figure.

"Chasing shadows across this mind does not help." I muttered to myself.

Seeker Time was not going to like this and as agitated as I was, I really didn't want to deal with his shit at the moment.

I'd save it until the morning.

I took off my shoes and t-shirt, lying down on my back on the huge bed in this massive yet plain bedroom.

I let out a heavy sigh as I started up at the ceiling. _What am I doing? _I thought, still staring at the ceiling.

I let out another sigh as I closed my eyes in thought. My head suddenly began pounding, as shadows danced through my mind once more.

The shadow was in the form of a female, I knew that much. But that was all I knew, I couldn't help but continue to believe that this body was a reject.

"Ah!" I grabbed my head in pain; it was as if someone was slamming a sledge hammer against my brain.

Something in my head and underneath my skin was trying to scratch the surface.

_But I love you._

The thought shot across my mind so quickly, I barely caught it.

The glimpse was of…a _memory?_

"It has to be." I said to myself, closing my eyes hoping to summon the picture once more.

But nothing.

What I saw was such a brief flash, I couldn't focus on anything.

I just remember dark hair, being curled at the end by a delicate finger.

This little bit of a memory that I was able to detect, made my heart beat a little quicker. The feeling was gone almost as fast as I'd felt it.

I was drenched in sweat, my breathing was unsteady.

I needed out of this host.

The pains that shot through my mind sporadically continued on throughout the night until this body couldn't take it anymore, my eyes finally closed as I fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

**Wanda**

That next morning Burns called all of us out into the plaza, and I knew why. It was time for them to learn of this soul we called Time.

I did not feel like myself, my patience was incredibly thin and I did not want to be around for this "meeting."

I leaned up against the entrance leading into the living quarters.

"Don't want to join the party." Hearing his voice usually put a smile on my face but not today. I turned toward Jeb who was smiling down at me softly.

He put his arm around my shoulder; pulling me into a half hug.

"I'm so sorry…about Ian. Boy was like a son to me." He whispered trying his best to comfort me.

I pulled away from him. For a minute, I felt bad about it. But it seemed like he hardly noticed.

I couldn't face him, turning away I softly spoke; "Please Jeb, I can't talk about that."

He pressed the issue, like I knew he would. "You can't or you won't?"

He changed his position, moving in front of me so I was forced to face him.

"Don't shut down on us Wanda, Ian wouldn't want that."

The tears were looming on the rims of my eyes, wanting so badly to spill. I closed my eyes tightly, willing them away with all my might.

I would _not_ break.

I met Jeb's eyes this time and from the expression on his face, it didn't surprise me that he'd never seen the look on mine.

"I'm sure he didn't want to be killed, either." I said callously.

Jeb opened his mouth utter shock in his eyes; I didn't give him any time to speak. I quickly pushed myself off of the wall, and walked to the other side of the plaza.

Finding a vacant spot in a corner; I leaned against the wall furthest away from the group.

I wanted nothing more than to be alone…I was tired of the, I'm sorry's, and the 'Ian was this and Ian was that.' It _killed_ me to speak of him in the past tense, and I _hated_ myself because it was _my_ people who had taken him away from me.

When Burns entered the plaza, his eyes found me.

I shook my head, letting him know that I did not want the full story to be told. He nodded, subtle enough so only I noticed.

Everyone was quiet, giving Burns the floor.

"Jared and Kyle know of this already, Ian knew too." He let out a breath, he was nervous, I could tell.

"Seeker Time is what I call a dark soul. When I informed them, I did not go into much detail…but with one of our own being taken I think it's time." He said looking around the room at each person.

"That can't be, all souls are pure." Melanie spoke; I looked at her, realizing I hadn't said much to her today.

"As did I…but it turns out all creatures are capable of hatred, not just humans."

Jared shook his head, "How did he become evil? " He asked pressing for more answers.

Burns looked out into the crowd of people who now looked afraid, he sighed. "I'm going to explain this as best as I can…because we souls don't really…know what caused him to become so malevolent, he may have been born corrupt."

Burns walked around the center of the room, moving in circles. I noticed Jared, Kyle, and Melanie only standing slightly outside of the kitchen entrance. Burns chuckled, His face didn't hide the unease he felt at trying to put together the mystery of Seeker Time.

"Everyone has demons, even souls. Seeker Times problem was that he was hungry for power, one taste…and he wanted more." He stared up at the mirrors above him, lost in his own thoughts.

Everyone was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"It started out with one planet…the planet with the spiders." Burns told us his voice now very cold. "The spiders looked up to him. He seemed to be the strongest of them."

"How do you know?" Kyle asked.

Burns met Kyle's eyes.

"I know because I was there." He admitted.

The fear and shock felt in the room was suffocating.

"We all turned to him for advice and help…the common things you'd go to a leader for." He shook his head, "it was as if he became drunk on power. He felt he was the ruler of us, he kept us safe. We owed him everlasting loyalty. We could not tolerate it, so a few of the souls turned on him, no longer looking at him for guidance. They tried to rid him of the planet. He became…angry. A feeling none of us at the time knew we were really capable of. Seeker time decided that power was more important to him then his people, it consumed him…corrupting him."

Burns paused again; glancing my way quickly, my eyes were focused on him; it was obvious he was not very comfortable with re living this story.

"From then on…he felt that the souls and creatures on the planet were becoming inadequate. He only cared about ruling the planet. Once the corruption spread, he did not care if a soul lived, or died." Burns shook his head.

"He will not stop…until the ones defiant of him, are dead." His eyes met mine once again, I shook my head.

Pleading with my eyes, _don't Burns, don't tell them. _I thought.

"Wanderer, I'm sorry, I must." His voice echoed throughout the hall, I shook my head once more.

Burns knew exactly what to say to light my fire.

"He took Ian." He said, staring down at the floor, because he did not want to see the expression on my face. Not after that.

Everyone's attention was now focused on me. I stepped out from the shadows, my arms resting at my sides.

"He wants me dead, because I was one of the souls who betrayed him." I stepped out into the middle of the plaza, gasps came from the crowd as I spoke, and my voice held a confidence I never knew I had.

"Taking Ian was his warning to me. We have a war raging on our hands." I looked around the room, at the humans I loved so dearly.

I would put an end to this, no matter what it took.

**A/N: hope you all enjoyed! Chapter 7 will be up shortly, and please, remember to review and let me know what you think. It is very much appreciated!**


	7. Discouragment and Remembrance

**A/N: Hey all, so I have currently began writing a new story, it's an Originals fan fiction. It's coming along pretty well and don't worry, for my devoted readers I have not abandoned this story. I'm going to attempt to juggle two stories, so have patience. I've been on leave from work, and I go back the 24****th**** of Oct so my updates may not be as quick then as they are now. I appreciate all of you who are sticking with this story, I hope to get a few new followers who discover this story and like it. Anyway, here is chapter 7 for all of you great people. This chapter is sort of calm before the storm, because things are going to get tragic shortly. Please REVIEW, I know I repeat this all the time but it means a lot when you guys do.**

_**Disclaimer: All rights for The Host novel and film go to Stephanie Meyer and Andrew Niccol**_

**Blaze**

I woke the next morning extremely groggy. I didn't get much sleep with the sporadic headaches that continued throughout the night.

Sitting up in bed, I put my head in my hands massaging my temples gently. I felt sick to my stomach, food would probably only make it worse.

My new predicament was Seeker Time, he wouldn't be too happy when I came to him with the news that this host is an empty shell.

I rolled out of the bed, hoping to prolong the visit with him as long as possible, I took a long hot shower, spent a good amount of time on the balcony, staring up at the sky.

I felt my head begin to throb again, it subsided rather quickly. I started calling them phantom pains. The pain had been so intense and so frequent, it caused them.

I let out a sigh; I had avoided Seeker Time long enough. _This isn't going to go well._ I thought, as I exited my room, taking the elevator up to his penthouse.

I knocked loudly on the door.

"enter." He shouted from inside, when I walked inside the huge sleek penthouse, He was playing a beautiful piece on the piano.

"What is that?" I asked listening to him play.

He stopped and turned to face me. "That one is pretty famous. It's called Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven."

I looked at him, my face was blank. I did not know who he was referring to.

He got up, and walked over toward the picture window that looked out on the Las Vegas strip, coming to this planet, I found an oddly passionate fascination with pianos, along with old pianists and compositions. I began my piano lessons, and sort of had a natural knack for it." He told me.

He read the confused expression on my face. "I figured I'd go into a little depth. Now, do you have anything to report?" There was the question I didn't want to be asked.

I shook my head, "No sir, I'm sorry. But…for some reason I can't-" my sentence cut off at the same time my air supply was cut off, he moved so swiftly I hadn't expected it.

His hand gripped my throat, pinning me to the wall.

"Sir, please…you do not understand." I gasped.

He yanked his hand free and scowled at me, distastefully. "I don't want to hear excuses." He began.

"This host is an empty shell. I interrupted him quickly spitting out the words.

"You're lying. You've conspired with this human, he's still alive in there….filling your own mind with nonsense." He said through clenched teeth.

"I speak the truth, I am alone in here." His finger was only inches away from my face.

"If you do not give me the information I need, I will kill all of them. All of the humans you love, I will make the girl suffer; her death will be the worst. I'll be there to personally make sure it is long and painful." He laughed coldly.

I glared at him; he was a sick creature indeed.

I smacked his finger down with force; looking into his dark eyes I stared at him with so much hostility if only looks could truly kill.

I turned to leave the room, and stopped before the door.

I would not allow this soul to intimidate me, I answered to no one.

Turning around, I scowled at him once more. "Good thing there is no one on this planet that I love." I stated coldly.

The expression on his face cracked only merely. But I knew with the look on his face, he could not believe I had the audacity to undermine him.

* * *

**Wanda**

After the 'meeting' held in the plaza, I needed to get away. I had admitted to these humans that I was the cause for Ian's abduction.

It used to bother me, when I learned how they felt toward me; toward us souls. Now I could not care less.

They had no sympathy toward me, trusting me got one of their own killed which was something some of these humans thought would happen all along.

I gnawed at my bottom lip, my thoughts never helped me; they only hurt me more.

No one understood the pain I felt every waking moment. Waking up alone; having to stare at Ian's empty seat during meals…having to wonder if he suffered…if he was still alive or if he was dead completely.

No one understood, and I accepted that.

I sat alone in the room Jamie introduced me to when he began to miss the outdoors, I sat on the cold ground beneath me, my knees bent up to my chest, with my arms locked around them I stared at the glow worms.

This room was my haven.

I used to admire their beauty; coming in here would always astonish me. But now I was empty. I had nothing left in me.

If Seeker Time wanted me, I would go to him without a fight. The man I loved was dead; I brought the entire army down on all of these humans I cared about.

I wanted to make things right, I did not agree with what my species was doing.

The humans deserved their lives. I was trying to restore order, but all I did was cause an uprising.

If it was me Seeker time wanted, it would be me he'd get…but on my terms.

"Hey there." The familiar voice interrupted my thoughts, that voice once made my heart skip a beat.

Jared walked in, sitting down next to me looking up at the glow worms.

"I've never sat here, and just admired them." He began, observing the creatures.

"I was always doing other things, going on raids…looking out for seekers, trying to keep all of us in order…" His voice trailed off.

I stared at him for a long time.

I was the last person I expected Jared to open up to. "This right here proves that there is still beauty and joy in this world." He spoke softly, turning to look at me.

His eyes were so intense; he never looked at me like that before.

"I just wanted to say…how sorry I am, for how I treated you when you were put into Mel's body." He laughed softly. "It's not like you had a choice in the matter of whose body you were implanted into."

I remained silent, I felt like it was better that way because if I opened my mouth, all the pain I felt would pour out like a cascade.

The pain of losing Ian, the guilt of putting these people I love in danger, the anger toward my own kind.

I hadn't spoken much since I found out Ian was taken. I didn't have much to say, anyway.

"He really loved you…you know."

Oh no…this was what I wanted to avoid. The remembrance speech, every conversation would be us remembering what kind of a person he was and how much he loved all of us.

His name would be put into past tense sentences and I just wasn't ready to accept that.

I looked at Jared, my eyes begging him not to begin. "Please don't." I whimpered.

"He made us see Wanda, made us see that your species was more than what we thought they were. That the souls were not evil, they just saw things in a different perspective, but you…you were completely different. You were more human than we were."

He was going to speak whether I wanted to hear it or not.

I began to get up, ready to flee before the lid on my emotions popped off like a tightly sealed cork and all the things I was trying not to feel would come crashing down on me.

He grabbed my hand; I was startled by the gesture glancing down at his hand in mine.

"I care about you, Wanda. I want you to know that." He whispered and our eyes locked.

I closed my eyes, breaking eye contact and shook my head.

"Don't shut me out, or Mel, or Jamie…" He said.

I frowned, still not able to meet his eyes. "I can't, Jared…" I spoke so softly it was almost inaudible.

"We need to know that you're alright." He pressed, his voice becoming a little stern.

I was far from alright, and nothing would change how I felt.

Nothing would bring Ian back to me, or convince the souls to leave earth. Not that it'd matter, we've occupied the human host bodies so long, most of the humans that were occupied were dead.

A human mind can't survive long with us living inside of them. No matter how much I tried to restore the Earth, it would be a failed attempt.

I had no fight left in me.

"I'm far from alright." I said, I was a different Wanda…a very bitter, very calloused, very numb soul.

I pulled my hand from his grasp, and without giving him a second look I walked out of the room.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed once again, sorry for any errors, its kind of late and I'm tired. I'm currently working on chapter 8 of this story and chapter 3 of my Originals story, I want to be King. Chapter 8 will be up soon! Don't forget to review, and follow…and favorite. It is greatly appreciated and makes me happy when I read them. Thanks guys!**


	8. Deception

**A/N: Hey everyone! sorry it's been a while since I updated, I've been trying to work on my Originals story as well. I found the time to finish chapter 8, here it is! hope you enjoy!**

**_Disclaimer" I do not own the host movie or novel. all rights go to Stephanie Meyer and Andrew Niccol_**

**Burns**

Everyone was sound asleep at our safe haven; this was my only opportunity to get out without being seen. I guided the red haired woman named rose along the paths leading to the exit.

"Where are we going?" She whispered.

I turned to face her, a finger to my lips letting her know she needed to remain silent.

"You'll find out soon enough." I muttered under my breath.

The guilt punched me in the chest repeatedly.

They would never forgive me once they found out…These people had grown to be my friends…my family. What was I doing?

"Can't you just let me know what's going on?" Rose whispered rather irritated.

I came to a sudden stop, turning around to look at her.

She was an attractive woman, seemed to have a good heart but it wasn't hard to look into her eyes and tell that she was insecure and weak.

"I know what you did to Ian." My voice was raw.

I had considered Ian a friend, just as much as Jared, Kyle, Jamie, and the rest that I left back inside of that cave.

Rose's face turned ghost white. "How did you-"

"That's not important right now. We have to hurry."

She pulled her arm from my grasp. "Damn it Burns! Just tell me where we're going to!"

I clenched my jaw, looking her right in the eyes.

I felt it again, this time the kicks of guilt to my chest turned into countless blows.

"Seeker Time needs us to report back to him."

* * *

**Blaze**

I took the elevator downstairs, on my way to the lab where they implant and extract the souls.

_Cruelty…Murder… Destruction._

I pressed my index and middle finger against my temple, trying my best to ignore words that flashed across my mind, words that weren't mine.

This Host was really starting to eat away at me, I couldn't figure it out…There was no other conscious mind in my head, and yet I continued thinking about things I don't remember and chasing shadows in my dreams that I could never fit a figure or a face to.

I was ready to cut me out of this defected host myself.

The doors leading to the lab opened automatically. Seeker Time was in there, as I'd expected him to be.

I never understood what he did when he was down here. But what I had walked into told me I was better of not knowing. My eyes were wide with shock as I took in the gruesome scene before me.

I watched him as he extracted a host and let it rest in the palm of his hand; he looked up at me a little surprised.

"Ah, Blaze I hope you've come with news." He said his tone flat and businesslike.

I furrowed my brows in puzzlement, as I looked down at the soul that sat in his hand.

"What are you doing?" I blurted, I had a bad feeling being down here.

"This host was defiant. So…I'm doing what I do to every defiant host." He looked up at me, with a wicked smile on his face when he abruptly closed his hand around the soul, crushing it in one single motion.

I backed away from him, horrified at what I'd just seen.

With a flick of his wrist, he splattered the remains of the soul on the ground.

He did not care about his own kind; we were merely insects who needed to be crushed if we got in his way. That was how he looked at me in those moments, like an insect who was in his way.

I turned to exit when the door opened and two people walked in that were unfamiliar to me, a red haired woman and a fellow soul.

"Burns...Rose…what do you have to report?" I heard him ask.

The girl named Rose was angry; it wasn't hard to tell with the body language she displayed. "Why couldn't you tell me he was my silent partner?"

Seeker Time was calm and collected when he spoke, it was sickening how it didn't bother him at all that he had just slaughtered his kind by his own hands.

"If I did not keep your identities from one another, knowing this may have ruined my plan." He smiled, grabbing a paper towel and wiping his hands clean, ridding himself of any bloody remains.

I leaned against the wall, furthest away from Seeker Time and his puppets.

I was sick to my stomach at the condition of this room, blood and the body parts of souls splattered along every wall of the lab. It was like a massacre had taken place in here.

"We have the location of the humans." The soul named Burns informed Seeker Time.

I picked up the hint of anguish in his voice. I didn't understand why they were doing this.

"They are unprepared, it would be best to get your people and ambush them now." Rose said impatiently.

Seeker Time held up his hand for silence. "Have patience, human. I do not want to sneak up on them…that would be to easy. Killing them in their sleep would be the coward's way; I want that resistant host to die by my hand."

Seeker Time was driven on making the soul I heard him call Wanderer pay for her defiant behavior, I could see that the one named Burns was trying so hard to hide the regret he was feeling.

"What do you suppose we do then, Master?" Burns asked looking over at the woman called Rose.

"You two keep up the charade, lead those humans out on a raid tomorrow…make sure you convince them that you were already out and no Seekers were anywhere nearby. Then we will ambush them. The girl, Wanderer will be the first to meet her demise, and she will die a slow death by my hand." He looked from the woman to the soul, forgetting all about me for the time being.

"The plan commences tomorrow, once this is over and she is destroyed…that will be the end of this war. The resistance will cease to exist." He announced, dismissing the two.

I stepped forward, trying my best to ignore the outrage that I felt.

"Blaze, I apologize for what you overheard."

"It's none of my business." I interrupted, letting him know what he did would not affect me.

Seeker Time nodded in agreement.

"That is correct, it is not your business…but let me be clear on something, if you think of deceiving me….I will dispose of you like I do all the rest." He looked down at the remains of the soul he had just crushed only minutes earlier.

"I understand." I said clenching my jaw tightly.

I held in my frustration and exited the lab knowing the truth now; Seeker Time was the enemy, and I'd be a fool to rebel against him.

**A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter, please review and tell me what you think! Also follow and favorite! Thanks so much for reading! As always I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors.**


	9. Unexpected Tragedy

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, its pretty long so hopefully it's good enough to hold everyone over until I find the time to begin the next chapter. please remember to review, follow, and favorite! Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Wanda**

It was early; I knew that much…not that I slept much anymore anyway. I heard hushed voices of someone walking through the corridor of everyone's living quarters.

The silhouettes of the two people outlined the white sheet that hung over my door. I got up out of bed, curious to know who that was and what they were doing awake while everyone else slept.

I lifted the edge of the sheet, peeking out into the hallway. It was Burns and Rose, what was going on?

They continued speaking in hushed tones, when I stepped out of the room quietly. I cleared my throat, their attention now focusing on me.

They seemed a bit nervous at the sight of me.

I folded my arms across my chest, walking over to them. "What are you two doing up? Where were you?" I locked eyes with Burns, holding his gaze my eyes burned into his.

"W-w-we went out to check the roads, see how many Seekers were patrolling the area; I thought it would be best to do that before we go on the raid tomorrow." Burns spoke so quickly his words all came out in a jumble. "Luckily they were clear." He finished stammering a little.

I knew nothing about a raid. "We're supposed to be going on a raid tomorrow?"

Rose smiled lightly, trying her best not to look at me. "Well yes, Kyle, Sunny, Jared, Mel, Burns, and myself. We're going on a raid." Her voice was shaky when she spoke; it wasn't hard to tell that they were trying their best to keep me out of the loop.

It was easy for them to see the outrage I'd feel knowing that they were not including me. I held my composure.

"I'm going with you." I stated, not really giving them much of an option to refuse me.

I kept my eyes on the pair; they were both trying to figure out a way to convince me otherwise.

"Wanda, we all just think with everything that's happened with Ian-"

"Stop it, Burns…I don't need anyone's pity here. I'm fine." I cut him off, livid at my so called friends.

They were going to sneak off on a raid, leaving me behind because they thought I was too broken by recent events to handle anything? I was beyond furious.

I pointed my finger in their direction. "I'm going, and no one is stopping me. I can handle it…I don't need anyone's sympathy, least of all yours." The words spilled out of my mouth before I really had time to think about what I was saying. What was happening to me?

"I have to go…" I whispered; turning around and heading to one of the only places I could run to when I wanted to be alone.

I found myself in the cavern that held the glow worms. I hadn't spooked them, so they were glowing vibrantly, helping me find some kind of serenity.

I sat near the edge hugging my knees against my chest, peering into the dark water below me.

I sat there staring at the reflection of the girl staring back at me. I no longer recognized myself; I had become calloused, cold, and spiteful.

I didn't realize it until now, that I had lost myself when I lost Ian.

I had been lost this entire time; I feared that I was gone for good.

* * *

I awoke the following morning, and managed to be the first one by the loading trucks.

The others came thirty minutes later or so, they were all surprised to see me besides Rose and Burns. "I'm coming with, and don't you dare try to convince me otherwise." I spoke to the three who approached me first; it was Melanie, Kyle, and Jared.

They stood before me in silence for what seemed like hours, when finally Mel and Jared nodded their heads in agreement. I nodded in their direction, climbing into the first truck.

I sat in between Jared and Burns, Jared always volunteered to be the driver mostly because he was best at not going over the speed limit.

If Seekers were around, we needed to be discreet….a driver with a lead foot would only get us caught.

I noticed how fidgety Burns had become, sweat dripping from his brow.

We had gotten almost twelve miles when I took note of the panic in his voice. "Jared, turn around!" He croaked leaning over me reaching for the steering wheel.

The truck swerved to the left.

"What the hell Burns!" Jared shouted, looking past me and glaring at Burns.

"Trust me! Just turn around!" He shouted.

Burns looked out the window his eyes wide with fear and regret. "It's too late…" I thought I heard him mutter under his breath.

My brows crinkled in wonder as I looked out the window.

I curious to figure out what freaked burns out so terribly, and that was when I saw it.

About half of a mile down the road, six chrome cars barricaded the highway, trapping us.

Jared slammed on the breaks the tires burning rubber on the asphalt.

"What is this Burns?" I asked, panic in my voice.

"We need to get out of here." He said with fear in his voice.

The truck skidded closer to the vehicles, and I was able to make out the figure of an African-American man standing in front of the vehicle parked in the middle of the road.

He stood with his arms folded against his chest, I could almost make out the satisfaction in his features and that was when I knew.

"Seeker Time…" I spoke, not taking my eyes off of the figure now only a few feet from our truck.

The truck halted abruptly causing the tires to squeal loudly. Our bodies jerked forward due to the sudden stop.

I stared out the window at the soul I betrayed so long ago, he calmly walked forward until he was standing right in front of our vehicle.

"It has been too long, Wanderer….though you had many different names in your other lives, I could never forget you….the one who went against me." His tone was civil, which only scared me more.

I felt the eyes of both Burns and Jared on me, but I could not remove my gaze from Seeker Time. This was my chance, he wanted me…I would go quietly as long as he spared the humans.

I mustered up the courage, telling myself I had nothing left to lose.

"Let me out…"I said softly to Jared intentionally not meeting his eyes.

He tilted my chin upward, forcing me to look at him. "You don't need to do this, Wanda." He told me the sadness that reflected from his eyes kicked me right in the gut.

It was good to know Jared genuinely cared about me now; he cared about my well-being, which I never expected to happen.

"I do need to do this, to keep everyone else safe." I told him, climbing over him quickly and getting out of the truck, not wanting to hear any last words he may have had to say.

I slowly made my way to the front of the vehicle, in between the chrome cars and our loading trucks…Seek Time and I stood face to face.

* * *

"You want me, here I am." I stood before the dark soul, mentally preparing myself for my slaughter.

What happened next was far more painful than any death I could have imagined.

The passenger side door of Seeker Time's car opened, and I froze. He stepped out of the car and my heart skipped a beat, I never thought I'd see that face again.

"Ian!" I gasped in astonishment.

The look he gave me only aided in my destruction.

He looked at me as if I were a complete stranger to him.

I heard Seeker time chuckle under his breath, "Friend of yours?" He said to me with a wicked grin on his lips.

With his words, it did not take me long to piece it together; I stood there shaking my head in denial.

It couldn't be true.

I pushed my fears aside; because I had to be sure…I held my breath looking into the eyes of the man I loved more than anything in this entire universe.

The truth was in the eyes, stone cold and undeniable.

I could not break my gaze devastated but also puzzled by what I saw.

The left eye was crimson silver, the color of an occupied host and the right was sapphire blue.

"Who is Ian?" He asked me his tone full of bewilderment.

I stared at him, my eyebrows creased in confusion. "It's me, don't you remember…?" I began as I took a step closer, he did not step back but he did not move toward me either.

My mind told me to let it go, that Ian was gone and he wasn't coming back.

But I just couldn't wrap my head around it, a part of me could not understand how this soul that occupied Ian didn't know who I was, or who Ian even was.

All hosts leave behind memories.

I could not help myself; I reached my hand out toward him.

I was in such shock I gave Seeker Time the perfect opportunity to do what he had wanted to do for so long.

He swiftly moved in front of Ian's occupied body, aiming the gun straight at my heart, his finger on the trigger.

* * *

Seeker time fired; the ringing of the shot was deafening and I thought for sure that the bullet found its way to my heart.

My ears rang and I heard my heart pound in my head as I waited for the pain to consume me, but it never did.

"No!" I heard a female scream.

As I turned toward the voice, the scene before me could not have been real.

Kyle lay on the pavement, a bullet in his chest.

The bullet that should have took me down.

I heard the click of the .44 caliber reloading.

Seeker Time aimed it toward me, this time no one would cover me, I would not allow it.

His finger was on the trigger and I knew without a doubt he wasn't hesitating…he was only basking in this moment.

He had won.

Then all too quickly, his body collapsed to the ground and standing behind him, with the barrel of a gun wrapped around her small hand was Melanie.

Her hand was frozen in position, the gun reversed in her hand.

She had knocked him unconscious.

"Thank you." I said finally catching my breath.

"I couldn't let a second bullet be spent..." Melanie's eyes drifted to Kyle's slumped body lying on the ground, and the world fell from underneath me again as the realization slapped me across the face once more.

My legs felt like they were a thousand pounds, but I pushed myself to make it to Kyle's side...Kyle, the last person that I had who cared about Ian just as much as I did, this couldn't have been happening.

* * *

**Blaze**

I stood only a few feet away from the humans, the sight before me triggered something inside of this defected mind of mine.

I held my head in pain as piercing sounds shot through it.

It was as if something deep within was trying to rip its way to the surface. I couldn't control it anymore.

I crumpled over in pain, my head was going to explode; or at least it felt that way.

I did my best to push down the struggle happening inside of myself.

I noticed the human who was bleeding out, staring at me with a painful smile on his face.

"That was for you, brother." The human managed to say in between his jagged breathing, it was becoming more and more shallow.

I felt a massive amount of pain rise up in my chest; I slowly put my hand over my heart…_what is happening?_ I thought.

I could not possibly be feeling pain for this human before me; this mind gave me no recollection of him.

The dying human continued to speak to me, "I did that…because I knew you would never forgive me if I hadn't." He coughed, blood sputtering from his mouth.

I saw tears in his eyes,while he continued to look at me. "I love you, brother…you have to fight…they need you, she needs you."

_Wanda_…

The name was a soft echo in the depths of my mind. I pressed a finger to my temple, closing my eyes.

"What is happening to me?" I whispered to myself.

I said nothing to the dying human; but I could not take my eyes off of him.

It was the weirdest sensation, I did not know this human, had not one memory so why did I feel…heartache?

"I'm sorry, Ian." I heard someone mutter behind my back, before I had a chance to turn around and react I felt something hit the back of my head with force.

I landed on the ground with a loud _thump._

Closing my eyes, I let the darkness consume me.

**A/N: This chapter was so sad, I know...but I loved it...I'm sorry for the tragic turn :( i'm also sorry for my horrible spelling and grammar mistakes. I've proofread about 3 times before I posted this, but each time I do the proofreading i'm also super tired so sorry about that. Also, don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! Thanks!**


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